A study that assessed the energy-related characteristics of over 160 buildings planned for construction in and after 2001 showed that the majority of newly constructed commercial buildings in the United States already meet or exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1989 standard for envelope requirements.

ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 and the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code include requirements for interior and exterior lighting in new construction, additions, and alterations for all commercial buildings, including residential structures with four or more stories above grade.

Insulation installed in a suspended ceiling does not meet the infiltration requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code. When the insulation is on the suspended ceiling, the ceiling is defined as part of the building envelope. This requires that it be air-sealed like any other envelope component.

Revisions and additions in the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 affect most new building designs. These requirements are mandatory and cannot be traded away, but options and exceptions are provided to meet the needs of various building and space types and activities. The requirements are categorized into two general areas: basic space control and automatic shutoff controls.

The Building Energy Codes Program compliance tools -- COMcheck™, COMcheck-Web™, REScheck™, and REScheck-Web™ -- have the capability to upload and download files to and from the desktop and Web-based versions of the software you are using.

ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)have a long, intertwined history of development, starting with the original development of ASHRAE Standard 90-75 in direct response to the oil crisis in 1973, and continuing on to the latest documents.

This article discusses building energy simulation software appropriate for use with the Energy Cost Budget method in ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and the Total Building Performance section of the International Energy Conservation Code.

To have a building certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), architects and designers can use several tools to demonstrate that the building complies with various sustainable design requirements. The USGBC certifies the building through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. This is a voluntary, consensus-based performance rating system. This article discusses the software that may be used to verify compliance.

The primary intent behind the requirement for a vestibule is to reduce infiltration into a space that includes doors with high volume of pedestrian traffic. Vestibules reduce the infiltration losses (or gains) from wind and stack effect by creating an air lock entry.